Body weight, wood species and resonance to match the original Hentor. Part of the auction house's "Music Icons" auction happening on May 20th, 21st and 22nd, "Property From The Archives of Alex Lifeson" will feature over 60 vintage guitars and other career . This topic is being created to be the ultimate collection of information and discussion for my fellow "Hentor Sportscaster" enthusiasts out there. After the demise of his prized ES-335, Alex Lifeson swapped to using some of his Les Pauls and a few Fender Stratocasters, but there was still a semi-hollow hole left in his heart that those solid-body guitars just couldnt fill. The natural finished Strats of that era had ash bodies. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). Alex Lifeson Hentor Sportscaster Mini Guitar Model Officially Licensed Officially Licensed - HANDCRAFTED with all the details just like Alex's famous guitar! Regular price $49.99 Alex Lifeson Signature ES-355 Gibson Alpine White Miniature Guitar Model. Hopefully by this time next week I'll be able to show you th finished product. Since its creation in 2011, this guitar has become one of Lifesons primary players. From that moment on, all he wanted to do was play guitar. Your purchases help youth music programs get the gear they need to make music. The Les Paul and the ES-335 became his two primary players through the rest of the 1970s and cemented his love for Gibson guitars, hollow-bodies, and Les Pauls. Lifeson also brought the guitar on the road extensively during the band's career. Despite not being a real guitar brand, the Hentor Sportscaster became one of Alex Lifesons most iconic guitars! As a subscriber enjoy big savings off the shop price! Lifesons Moog is preset with a few bass sounds and some samples. Over the years, Lifeson has used almost countless Gibson Les Pauls on stage and in the studio. He fell in love with it right away. Another highlight of the auction, Lifeson's 1980 custom-built Hentor Sportscaster electric guitar. For a limited time, save in the Gibson European Demo ShopUp to 25% off select Gibson guitarsShop now, View similar gear from other sellers on Reverb. Like with his guitars, Lifeson has gone through a few amps over the years. Oops, looks like you forgot something. From what I've researched, there were numerous versions until he arrived at what most people consider the final "official" Sportscaster, the white one with the rosewood fretboard. In 2008, Alex Lifeson teamed up with his favorite guitar-makers to create a signature Gibson ES-355 thats (almost) as good as his original 1976 model. This . It has a large C shape neck and plays fast. This is easily one of the most iconic Alex Lifeson guitars ever. The second output jack on his guitar is just for the piezo pickup. By clicking Subscribe, I agree to receive exclusive offers & promotions, news & reviews, and personalized tips for buying and selling on Reverb. Lifeson loved the sound of the TC Electronics 1210 so much that hes had the same exact unit in his rack for over 30 years! What era is this meant to follow? https://images.reverb.com/image/upl,t_large/v1581972430/h0nfvf6whdarq19a1o7i.jpg, Fender "Squier Series" Floyd Rose Standard Stratocaster 1992 - 1996 | Reverb, https://reranchstore.stores.yahoo.net/vintagecream.html, https://www.tdpri.com/media/hentor-sportscaster-wiring-diagram.32741/full?d=1427069188, 2023: The Year Epiphone Became Unaffordable, Don't store picks in zip bags for too long. Add to Cart. The 3 way Gibson switch is super simple and more intuitive than soldering a 5-way blade selector - the routing to place the switch on the lower horn will be a bit of work of course, but perfectly doable with a hand drill. He would also use it in live shows, pushing a Marshall 412 cabinet. Then I found where Freddy G. said the wiring is Bridge/Neck + Middle/Neck, and I can't for the life of me figure out how . The RUSH guitarist is auctioning off more than 100 items including instruments, gear, memorabilia and wardrobe which helped make classic rock history as we know it. All these amazing Lifeson-inspired features are finished off by an incredible figured maple top. For a limited time, save in the Gibson European Demo Shop. He took a few classical guitar lessons from a friend when he was young, but he mostly sat by his record player trying to learn the solos from his favorite guitarists. This was Lifeson's favorite guitar to use during the recordings . A portion of the proceeds will go to the Grapes Under Pressure charity. Go. I gigged this song with my Helix with my old cover band. Hed take only a quick break to eat dinner, then go right back up to keep playing until bedtime. So I took the occasion to level, re-crown and polish all the frets. Lifeson uses the Gibson HRF for songs like Hemispheres, Tom Sawyer, and Camera Eye.. Lifesons original EDS-1275 Doubleneck was eventually donated to a museum in Toronto. The Property from the Archives of Alex Lifeson auction will be split into two sessions, occurring at 10 a.m. A subscription makes a thoughtful gift for both family and friends. Here are a few of his most notable. He's a metalhead through and through, but has a thorough appreciation for all genres of music. Used - Mint. When the router decides to go in its own direction you wont be able to stop it. To make the guitar even cooler, it has two output jacks. One of the greatest rock groups of all time, selling more than 40 million records worldwide during the bands four-decade history. The Iconic Alex Lifeson Guitar-His Custom-Built "Whitey" Gibson ES-355TD Electric Main Guitar from 1976-2015 Used During his Entire Time with Rush; a "Limelight" Stage Played 1980 Custom-Built Hentor Sportscaster Electric Guitar; "The Trees" and "La Villa Strangiato" Studio Played 1971 Jose Ramirez Classical Acoustic Guitar; a Moving Pictures Tour 1981 Gibson Howard Roberts . The owner of this website does not guarantee offers on this site, and all offers should be viewed as recommendations only. Joined Oct 25, 2017 . The 1210 is a spatial expander and chorus flanger that helps Lifeson create his unique Rush sound. There isnt anything special about Lifesons Tele. The P-90 rout definitely is not a fit as you found out and the uncovered humbucker is probably the closest. but there's no way you're getting that solo with a 355. You are using an out of date browser. Can't make it to the auction, then watch live streaming with Julien's Live. Germany, Some reference if you can stand the 80'sness of the videos. The Strat above is the famous "Hentor Sportscaster" used during the Grace Under Pressure era. He wanted to be able to get a cleaner sound out of the 12-string, so he put the guitar under the soldering iron and chainsaw, as he said in an interview with Gibson. 90249 | You can see it rocking on Working Man during this early Rush performance. Hentor Sportscaster Alex Lifeson RUSH Stratocaster Tribute. Once Rush started hitting it big, Alex Lifeson went out and bought a Fender Super Reverb amp. I have had the Hentor in my possession for about 6 months and have documented every property and detail of this amazing and unique sounding guitar. It is indeed a Signature strat. First, the Hentor Sportscasters pickup toggle switch was located on the horn of the guitar, similar to a Gibson. TDPRI, short for Telecaster Discussion Page Reissue, is the leading online community and marketplace for Telecaster guitars. Hello Chris, great article but Id like to bring some corrections to your information the Signature Guitars section: Alex started using the Signature Aurora Prototype built buy Russ Heinl (a personal friend of Alexs) for the Hold Your Fire and Presto albums almost exclusively (this it the White Aurora, his #1), he had 5 Auroras on tour with him and used mostly his #1, #2 Charcoal grey & his #3 Dark emerald green metallic in the live performances. Home Guitarists Alex Lifeson Guitars and Gear List (2023 Update). As he told Guitarist magazine, It wasnt much of a guitar. Alex Lifeson Guitars and Gear List (2023 Update), Best Acoustic Electric Guitars (All Prices), Songs with Lots of Bass Guitar (Rock and Pop), ranked 98th on Rolling Stones 100 Greatest Guitarists, Alex Lifeson in Vintage Guitar Magazine, September 2011, Steve Hackett Guitars and Gear List (2023 Update), Joe Perry Guitars and Gear List (2023 Update), 70 Easy Electric Guitar Songs for Beginners (2023 with Tabs and Lesson Videos), 40 Easy Love Songs on Guitar (2023 with Video Lessons), 35 Best Rock Bands with Female Singers (with Videos), 70 Most Fun Songs to Play on Guitar (2023 with Videos), 24 Best Female Pop Singers of All Time (2023 Update), Royal Crimson Finish / Viceroy Brown / Black. I mean I know some guys name their guitars, never heard of naming your speakers. You are using an out of date browser. Another notable Lifeson axe his 1980 custom-built Hentor Sportscaster electric guitar used on the recording of RUSH's seminal albums since "Moving Pictures", in particular "Grace Under . The Hentor's transition from Alex Lifeson's three Hentor 'prototypes' to a line of commercially-available guitars happened somewhere in between these two worlds. The most stressful part of this project has been relocating the three-way switch from its traditional Stratocastor location to the lower cutaway. Growing up, his musical idols included other legendary rockers like Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Pete Townsend, Jimmy Page, and Eric Clapton. The addition of all the pictures and videos just awesome. I was born and raised in Western Pennsylvania. Lifeson played a Signature Aurora almost exclusively for the Power Windows Tour and kept it in rotation for a few shows after that. Since Geddy Lee also uses steampunk contraptions to fill his side of the stage, these custom-made Hughes & Kettners look great to give the band a unified look on stage. Please call 877-687-4277 for assistance with placing . Or why not treat yourself? After rocking on his Canora for a while and discovering that music was what he really wanted to do, Alex Lifeson decided it was time to buy his first proper guitar to get his new band Rush going. JULIENS AUCTIONS IS HONORED TO ANNOUNCE OUR PROPERTY FROM THE ARCHIVES OF ALEX LIFESON AUCTION TAKING PLACE FRIDAY, MAY 20th AT THE HARD ROCK CAF NEW YORK AND LIVE ONLINE AT JULIENS LIVE. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. The amp setup was a couple of Dean Markley 2x12 combos, two Marshall 2x12 combos, two . Thats what gives him that special Life-O-Sound that blends acoustic and electric sounds. He started playing a Gibson ES-335 at the start of his musical career, then moved on to a Gibson Les Paul. Alex Lifeson Signature Guitar - "Great White". Btw, to answer your other question, to route an American standard 2 pole or a vintage routed body for a Floyd, you will need to fill the cavities and drill new holes then refinish. Your purchases also help protect forests, including trees traditionally used to make instruments. Alex used this guitar heavily during the 1980's and named . You can see this model in action on Far Cry from the Snakes & Arrows tour. Lifeson had 3 modded Strats. Germany, Lifeson prefers to use the Dunlop Cry Baby Wah to help his solo parts stand out. Thanks, I could not see from the photos if there was a gap and that you had put the pickup ring underneath. The pickups were Alnico II replicas of the legendary 1950s PAF humbuckers that made Lifesons original 355 sound so good. Last edited: Nov 5, 2017. He did, however, modify his 1958 Sunburst Gibson Les Paul Reissue to include a Piezo pickup in the bridge along with dual outputsa configuration he later incorporated into his own Gibson signature model. Alex Lifeson: "I purchased this guitar in 1976, it was custom-built in Kalamazoo just for me. Alex Lifeson Hentor Sportscaster Miniature Guitar Model Officially Licensed. Don't mind the trace lines for 3 single coil pups - that's just habit. Alex Lifesons two true guitar loves are the Gibson ES-335 and the Les Paul. Lifeson controls which amp he wants to use with a foot pedal switcher. From about 2000 on, he used Gibsons almost exclusively, most of them being Les Pauls. A custom-built 1980 Hentor Sportscaster - used by Lifeson extensively during the recording of Rush's Grace Under Pressure album and for the "Limelight" solo - also fetched a princely sum, selling (opens in new tab) for $187,500. That's some impressive knowledge John C. Didn't he use a white one like that during the recording and touring of Moving Pictures? The Alex Lifeson Les Paul Axcess is a very unique guitar. He loved the feel and tone of the guitar, and it easily became his primary player for years to come. See the full list of notable Alex Lifeson Guitars below. #1. The Gibson HRF looks like Gibson took a Les Paul and threw some ES-335 into it. Its essentially an oversized hollow-body Les Paul. With my engineering experience, Ive developed as a designer of guitar amplifiers and effects. There's also a 1992 PRS CE bolt-on neck guitar which was heavily used on Rush's 1993 album, Counterparts, and its accompanying tour which is expected to fetch between $50,000 and $70,000. It also had only two knobsone tone and one volumeunlike the three that you usually find on Strats. Lifeson is known for his outstanding riffing, odd chord structures, and electronic effects. I'm a huge Rush fan and Alex Lifeson was the reason I picked up a guitar. Your purchases help youth music programs get the gear they need to make music. Lifeson runs that second output into the piezo switcher on his pedalboard, so he can turn the piezo on and off with the touch of his foot. The Hentor now sports Dimarzio single coils and also a large brass sustain block for the Floyd Rose, the biggest one Ive seen and yet there is still a good amount of movement available. I think it cost $10. He recalled the string height was very high off the neck, making it difficult to playas most beginner acoustics are. They were really just modified Strats that Lifeson renamed Hentor Sportscaster after Rushs producer at the time, Peter Henderson. If you go back to Moving Pictures, you can see Alex in the "Limelight" video play a modified black Strat with what appears to be the stock Fender maple neck, with no locking nut. For the Power Windows tour in 1985, Lifeson swapped out his chorus foot pedal for a rack-mounted TC Electronics 1210. A lot less expensive than the excellent "Hentor Sportscaster" replicas made by Freddy Gabrsek. A lot less expensive than the excellent "Hentor Sportscaster" replicas made by Freddy Gabrsek. Product #: AL-280 AXE HEAVEN has created handcrafted RUS AXE HEAVEN HOME - WE SHIP WORLDWIDE I'm a huge Rush fan and Alex Lifeson was the reason I picked up a guitar. Some of the add-ons on this site are powered by. Finally, RUSH's drummer Neil Peart is such a monster musician that we will reserve comment for now and create a separate post for him at an appropriate moment in the near future hint, hint. Hello my fellow Rush fans! For some of the synth-heavy songs, Lifeson uses a Moog Taurus Bass Pedal to add some chords and synth bass sounds without having to put down his guitar. Fender PA 100. If you plug in the second output jack, it splits the magnetic pickups and the piezo pickup, so Lifeson can send the two signals to separate amp configurations! ET on May 22. The experts in contemporary and pop culture. The only difference is that the finish was taken off the neck to help with playability. Although Alex Lifeson prefers (loves) Gibson guitars, he does dabble with some other manufacturers as well. He even uses it during Rushs induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. It has been my main guitar and is the iconic Alex Lifeson guitar." . Another notable guitar going under the hammer is Lifeson's 1980 Hentor Sportscaster, the custom electric guitar which Lifeson played on albums such as 1981's Moving Pictures and 1984's Grace Under Pressure. The Whitey Gibson ES-355TD is expected to fetch between $200,000 and $300,000. It will be a little bit of a pain in the ass, but its not hard at all. Lee. A 1980 custom Hentor Sportscaster played by Lifeson on most Rush albums since Moving Pictures, and was the main guitar used on the recording of the album Grace Under Pressure. This guitar was favored by Lifeson as his primary instrument for soloing in particular the solo for the bands hit single Limelight, and can be seen in the music videos for Vital Signs, Countdown, and Enemy Within. The Sportscasters heavy yet versatile sound embodies Rushs bold sonic explorations of the 1980s and Lifesons growth as a soloist during this time. All his Strats were 1977 models and I believe all had alder bodies. Hello my fellow Rush fans! You are using an out of date browser. The interaction between 2 light choruses was an a-ha moment. Although Lifeson helped propel Signature to new heights by showing off its capabilities on stage, the Signature Guitar Company ultimately closed its doors in 1990, and Lifeson switched back to Gibsons and PRSs. JavaScript is disabled. Instead, its thinner than standard Les Pauls, giving it that Axcess weight reduction without losing the incredible solid-body sustain. I posted (http://unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=24807.msg359089#msg359089) several months back asking for advice on attempting to build a replica of Alex Lifeson's white Hentor Sportscaster, a modified strat he used on the Grace Under Pressure album and tour. Months after Alex Lifeson detailed his post-Rush project Envy of None, it's been revealed that friend and bandmate Geddy Lee is at work with the Barenaked Ladies on a "secret" new project. Here are a couple of shots of the final assembly. northgta@gmail.com. Please check the fields highlighted in red. Strat Talk is the leading online community and marketplace for Stratocaster guitars. He has three of these contraptions behind him on stage at all times. Best regards! What is giving Ronnie Wood his tone in this song? JavaScript is disabled. Heres how it works. With a router, you have to do a multitude of shallow passes going slightly deeper each time. It doesnt matter how skilled you are, if youre holding a double-neck, you look like a guitar hero! the horizontal brace says Feb 25th 1978 Carnaby Road I do prefer the look with the white pickups. You can hear the Garrison in action during a small solo break on Working Them Angels.. Oct 8, 2022. As it turns out, the whole Hentor Sportscaster thing was a joke. I'll . The other thing to consider is your humbucker will want a 500k pot and the Dimarzio single coils will want to see a 250k pot, but theres an easy workaround for this using a resistor for the singles coil positions. Some of you may know of the Hentor Sportscaster, a 1973 white Fender strat that Alex Lifeson modded. $39.99. Alex Lifeson uses three of his signature Hughes & Kettner amps on stage. While his 76 ES-355 might not be his primary player anymore, its still one of Lifesons favorite guitars and frequently goes on tour with him. According to Rushisaband.com, Niagara On The Lake luthier Freddy Gebrsek has received permission from RUSH guitarist Alex Lifeson to create and sell replicas of his Hentor Sportscaster, which Alex used extensively during the early 1980s. Another one of Lifeson's iconic guitars is another custom-built ax, his 1980 Hentor Sportscaster electric guitar, which was used in the 1981 album Moving Pictures and was the main recording guitar . The model name is "Alex Lifeson Axcess Les Pauls Gibson" and it includes, among other things, a tremolo handle as well as special pickups (microphones). Of course, seeing such an unknown guitar rocking stages all over the world, guitar players everywhere were trying to figure out what the heck a Hentor Sportscaster was! I never noticed the inverted jack on that thing. The pickups were swapped out with DiMarzios for the rhythm and bass positions and a Bill Lawrence L-500 in the back position. I have no idea. When you think of Alex Lifeson, you either picture him with a Les Paul or his white ES-355. Hello my fellow Rush fans! Thank you for reading 5 articles this month*, US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year, UK pricing 2.99 per month or 29.00 per year, Europe pricing 3.49 per month or 34.00 per year, *Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. While Lee and Peart are incredibly important to the band's . The wiring is neck, neck/middle, bridge.